Bed-bottom



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEG WILLIAM WoEKMAN AND e. E. swAIN, or RIEON, WISCONSIN.

BED-BOTTOM.

Speeication forming part of Letters Patent No. 49,189, dated August 1, 1865.

` Spring Bed-Bottoms 5 and wedoherebydeclare that the following is a full and exaetdescription thereof, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, making part ot this speciication. 4

Figure 1 is a perspective View of our improved bed bottom; Fig. 2, an end elevation thereof.

Like letters of reference indicate correspondin g; partsin both figures.

Our invention consists in holding the slats composing the bed-bottom in an extended or expanded condition under all circumstances, when in use, by a means hereinafter described, so that the bottom will properly sustain the whole area of the mattress and act uniformly, thereby preventing sagging or inclination ot' the bed, and in connection therewith the eniployment of springs, as hereinafter described.

As represented in the drawings, A A are head and foot cross-pieces, forming supports for the ordinary7 slats, B B, running usually lengthwise of the bedstead. In our arrangement these slats rest at suitable distances apart on flexible straps C G, of cloth, leather, or other suitable material, to which they are secured in any desirable manner. Under the slats, both at the head and 'oot, are situated coiled springs av c, for giving elasticity to the bed.

We prefer to make holes b b in the straps G C at each end, so as to hook the same over uprightrods or projections c c, secured at the ends of the cross-pieces A A, as clearly represented. But instead ot' this simple eyes may be secured in the sides of the slats, hooking;` in the same manner over the rods, or any equivalent arrangementmaybe employed. The advantage of this arrangementis obvious. The mostimportant eft'ect produced is that the slats are always keptextended when in use, so as to form a supportfor the mattress the whole width of the bed. The difficulty with ordinary bed-bottoms is that thc slats contract when in use, or, rather, are

drawn inward toward each other, thus cover-` ing only a portion of the area over which the mattress rests, and the consequence is that the bed is very uncomfortable, one side orthe other sagging' or nolining. It `will be seen that we remedy this difculty, for the slats are held apart and made to cover the whole area ofthe bedstead by theholes or eyes b, connecting with the rods or projections c. When thus extended the slats cannot become disarran ged, nor can the mattress sag or incline.

At the same time that the above effectisaccomplished the elasticity` of the bed-bottom is not in the leastimpaired. The springs a aini sure apert'ect elasticity under each slat, and the slats being connected by the straps C, they act in `unison from one side to the other ofthe bottom.

In transportation or storage the bed-bottom can be put in very compact form.

The straps are unhooked from the rods or projections and the slats are rolled up, `while i the cross-pieces can be placed side by side and bound together in small space.

What weclaim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isl Connecting the straps C, havingthe slats B attached thereto (or the slats themselves) to the rods or projections c in such a manner as to keep said slats extended, and employing, in combination Atherewith, the springs a, a. and cross-pieces A A, substantially as andfor the purpose herein set forth.

In witness whereof we have hereunto signed' our names in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WM. VVORKMAN. C. F. SWAIN.

Witnesses E. L. RUNNUL, I. B. STEVENS. 

